Unlawful blacklisting by Vodacom

[wolfpack]

I worked for Vodacom from 14 November 211 and resigned a week later. I served a week's notice and left by mutual consent, having gone through a proper exit process and signed back all Vodacom property.

Although I was well within my rights to resign, it seems someone at Vodacom was pissed off about it. A year later on 27 November 2012, I checked my profile on ITC and found Vodacom listing for a default for R2683. I inquired with their legal department and I was told I had a top-up contract that I still owed and it was handed over to a company called Jacobs Banard and Associates. After numerous calls to JBA and Vodacom HR to try and get to the bottom of this, I was eventually told the amount was an overpayment on my salary when I left Vodacom.

Before I go to the media to expose this Vodacom brand for what it really is, can you please advice me on the following:

1) Can Vodacom blacklist me on ITC for this kind of issue, which is far from a consumer credit issue?
2) Clearly in this case Vodacom didn't follow the correct procedure for blacklist as this could've been resolved even before it went to ITC. I never received any notice of any liability or impending blacklist. section 70 NCA
3) Is this a matter for ITC/CCMA

[tec0]

Sounds like you need to speak to a professional first. I would go to a lawyer pay for the hour and then ask him a list of questions. I would recommend this as a must. My reasons is if you are going against such a large company “hearsay” is not enough you need facts and making a small list and using that hour to identify problems with a lawyer may well be the best investment you have made.

After you have the facts then you know where you stand. Also keep a running recording of your conversation with your lawyer as it helps to listen to it a second time around.

Best of luck to you.

[wolfpack]

Sounds like you need to speak to a professional first. I would go to a lawyer pay for the hour and then ask him a list of questions. I would recommend this as a must. My reasons is if you are going against such a large company “hearsay” is not enough you need facts and making a small list and using that hour to identify problems with a lawyer may well be the best investment you have made.

After you have the facts then you know where you stand. Also keep a running recording of your conversation with your lawyer as it helps to listen to it a second time around.

Best of luck to you.

Thank you Tec0. I'll take your advice and seek legal advice from a professional.

[Dave A]

Out of idle curiosity, had your contact details changed in all this? Vodacom's failure to notify you prior to making an adverse credit report is disturbing.

At this point I suggest you dispute the adverse listing with the credit bureau and continue trying to clear the issue up with Vodacom's HR department. Once resolved, make sure you get a letter from Vodacom that favourably reflects the cause of the entry and that it is resolved - there's a fair chance you're going to need it if you try to obtain credit within the next few years.

[wolfpack]

Sounds like you need to speak to a professional first. I would go to a lawyer pay for the hour and then ask him a list of questions. I would recommend this as a must. My reasons is if you are going against such a large company “hearsay” is not enough you need facts and making a small list and using that hour to identify problems with a lawyer may well be the best investment you have made.

After you have the facts then you know where you stand. Also keep a running recording of your conversation with your lawyer as it helps to listen to it a second time around.

Best of luck to you.

Hi Dave A. My contact details have not changed. I have lodged a dispute with transunion and their consultants have told me their investigation department has sent a letter to Vodacom and are waiting for a reply. The process takes 20 business days. I'm in contact with their HR department although their response has been very slow as I have to call them on a regular basis before they can reply to any of my emails, and that can sometimes more than a week.

I've also made an inquiry with the NCR via email and I received a reply this morning advising me to lodge the complaint with ICASA. Their reply says they do not regulate any of the telecommunications service providers.

[Dave A]

Sounds like you're making progress, although the NCR kicking the issue to ICASA doesn't make sense. I'd love to know their legal foundation for that one

Don't forget to keep winding the Vodacom HR end too.

[wolfpack]

I also thought the NCR's reply didn't really make much sense. The fact that I mentioned I didn't have a credit agreement probably threw them off and didn't consider the issue to fall in their jurisdiction of credit matters.